his own children, he was unwearied in his endeavours to form their manners, and to imbue their minds with learning. And this may be enough to say concerning his manners. But now, being desirous to detail the painful wars o f this king, I must say this, in the first.place, that, at the end o f the month in which he began to reign, he fought with a amali and exceedingly unequal army of warriors against the pagans, on the hill which is called Wiltan, which is on the south bank of the river Guilo, from which that county is called Guiltshire. For, during the preceding year, the nobles of that district had been defeated in nine battles on the southern side of the river Thames, leaving out of the question many cavalry skirmishes which the nobles, with the people who were their dependents, had made under the pressure of necessity. And, as they were greatly weakened by these efforts, the Danes gained the victory. And, after this victory, the pagans marched on the city of London, and wintered there. And Buthred, king of Mercia, came to an amicable arrangement with them, and bought a truce with money. A.D. 872. The people of Northumberland expelled from the kingdom their king, Egbert, and Ulfer, the archbishop. And when they were expelled, they fled to Buthred, king of Mercia, and were honourably received by him. The same year, Kinebert, bishop of Lichfield, died, and was succeeded by Tunebert. In which year also, Alwin, bishop of Worcester, was succeeded by Herefrid, who, on the seventh of June, received the honour of consecration from Ethelred, archbishop of Canterbury. He, at the request of king Alfred, translated elegantly the books of Dialogues of the blessed pope Gregory into the Saxon language. At a later period, king Alfred summoned before him this same bishop Herefrid, and Plegmund, archbishop of Canterbury, Athektan, bishop of Hereford, and Werebert, bishop of Leicester, men of the most admirable learning, and honoured them with many presents, that they might aid him in acquiring a knowledge of literature. Moreover, he sent messengers into Gaul, and invited to partake of his society the holy Grimbald, a priest and monk, a man of great learning in matters relating to ecclesiastical discipline, and John, a priest and monk, eminent for his virtuous character ; he also invited Asser from the most distant part of Wales, from the monastery of Saint David ; and, by the wisdom and learning of all these men, the desired object of the